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Best of 2012 - Truck, Show, and Club of the Year

Time For A Rewind

By MT Staff

Mini Truckin', February 01, 2013

Man oh man, what a great year it has been to be a part of this scene/lifestyle/culture/whatever you want to call it. We've been to the biggest and best shows of the year, hung out with clubs all over the country, and spent hours eyeballing the cover trucks—over, and over, and over again over the last 12 months. Even though this is an exciting time of the year for cover truck owners, show promoters, clubs, and you the reader, it's a bit hellish for us having to vote for just one in each of the three categories in question. But it has to be done though—the minitruckin' public deserves answers.

Listen to us sounding like politicians and soiled toddlers. It's time to man/woman up and make a few hard choices. And to follow tradition, we've asked you to exercise your democratic rights by voting too! It's the 'Murican way, see who won our online reader vote next issue.

Truck Of The Year

John Mata Jr.MT Editor

Jonathan Juarez's Chevy S-10 "Pure Hatred"
I've been sweating bullets trying to come to this decision. My vote has been teetering back and forth between Oliver's classy yet crazy Tacoma and Jonathan's out of this world S-10. Both are overly deserving of our truck of the year title, and choosing against one of them is like deciding if you'd rather have a leg or an arm brutally hacked off. But in the end, I chose Jonathan's S-10. Not because it's a "nicer" truck, but because it's the closest thing to hell on earth in the form of a minitruck. The truck gets driven—a lot. And if you know Jonathan or at least "know" him on Facebook, you'd know that he beats the living sh*t out of this thing. Rain and filth isn't enough to scare this demon Dime away from the road, and when stuff breaks or fails on it, Jonathan makes the repairs and thrashes on it some more. Call that having balls or call it plain stupid—either way you see it; I call it 100-percent punk rock.

Chris PasleyMT Art Director

Oliver Porter's '02 Toyota Tacoma "Evolution"
12 trucks enter, one truck leaves with the title of truck of the year. It's been another year of amazing builds, and the quality and craftsmanship that we are seeing never ceases to amaze me. One truck rose above the rest with its slick stance, chop top, and award-winning House of Kolor paintjob. Oliver Porter's Tacoma gets my vote this year. It oozes clean and classic minitruck style with a hint of class—just like the owner.

Monica GondermanMT Web Producer

Jonathan Juarez's Chevy S-10 "Pure Hatred"
This is hands-down 100-percent my nomination for the 2012 cover truck of the year. It's hard to progress the level of customization in a scene that appears nearly tapped-out, but I think this S-10 does just that. Let's review: this was an August 2009 feature and June 2011 Construction Zone feature. My heart's on fire for this truck (sorry—I had to!) I'm not biased towards S-10s (even though I have one and this is the only S-10 cover of the year.) OK, so I'm only a little bit biased. But considering that this S-10 is about as much S-10 as Ken Block's Ford Fiesta is a Fiesta, it's pretty easy to defend my claim that the make and model have little to do with it; this S-10 hardly resembles the everyday S-10. Adorned with body mods galore (look closely!), right-hand drive, cool paint, engine swap, ever-popular Intro Vista II's, and much more, I'm sold on Pure Hatred.

Ernie MaciasMT Contributing Photographer

Oliver Porter's '02 Toyota Tacoma "Evolution"
My vote for this year's truck of the year goes to Oliver Porter and his Tacoma. It's not just because he owns one of the most beautiful trucks ever built, but because he can grow a gnarly beard, and any man who can grow a beard that impressive deserves to win. But seriously, the Tacoma blew me away at SEMA 2011, and the photos Johnny O took of it only made it stand out even more. Yes, I would have loved to vote for my own truck (RIP) but the reality is my Mitsubishi didn't stand a chance against Oliver's Taco.

John O'NeilMT Contributing Writer/Photographer

Oliver Porter's '02 Toyota Tacoma "Evolution"
Every minitrucker loves and hates an epic year like this, especially if you're voting. We love the fact that so many amazing rides were completed at such a high standard and yet hate the fact that we have to choose only one for truck of the rear. With that being said, this year my vote goes to Oliver Porter and his Toyota Tacoma. To me, this represents the next level for the minitruck community—it's a street rod within a minitruck skin. Every single part of Oliver's Tacoma has been tastefully cut up in such a way that it's subtly outrageous.

Ernie Macias' '94 Mitsubishi Mighty Max "WAS STK"
Man, was it hard to choose from all these badass cover trucks! I narrowed it down to a few and went over and over looking at all the details. In the end, I chose Ernie's "WAS STK" Mighty Max. When I build my next mini, I hope it looks half as good as this one. Subtle paint scheme, ‘bodied on big billets, and a simple interior. Pure class! I followed the build on Instagram, the debut at SEMA, and then the rear-ended bed incident. I couldn't believe it. Regardless, amazing truck, and a nice guy!

Sean "Frenchy" FrenchSoLo Films owner and videographer

Oliver Porter's '02 Toyota Tacoma "Evolution"
My vote for truck of the year has to go out to Oliver Porter's Tacoma. I have been following his build for many years, and the manhours and detailed modifications truly inspire me. From the paint scheme to the interior design, it's just amazing. I look forward to seeing a video shoot of this truck!

Phil FowlerMT Contributing Writer/Photographer

Oliver Porter's Toyota '02 Tacoma "Evolution"
Oliver Porter's Tacoma! I picked Oliver's truck this year because hands down, it's just plain badass. To see this truck transform from what it was to what it is now is just amazing! The paint on this truck just grabs your eye from a distance and when you walk up on it, this truck doesn't disappoint! This is the complete package, from interior, to paint, bodywork, and all the subtle details! Hats off to all who had their hands in this build. It truly is a work of art!

Josh FleetwoodMT Contributing Writer/Photographer

Bobby Moore's '95 Toyota Tacoma "XChanged"
I am going to have to go with Bobby Moore's Tacoma. It has clean lines with all the good colors and just the right amount of graphics not to be distracting. Also the little things such had the bamboo wood bed and the big billet rollers give it that style of truck I always find myself checking out at a show.

Jason "Pugz" WalkerMT Contributing Photographer

Jonathan Juarez's '00 Chevy S-10 "Pure Hatred"
As biased as this may sound since I shot it, I have to give the best cover truck this year to Jonathan Juarez and the rebuild of his Pure Hatred S-10. It's the most heavily modified cover of the year, and it's a true driver. John uses his truck pretty much daily, and uses it like a truck. It's right-hand drive, been made into a Unibody, has a 6.0L swapped in, and it's a daily driver. That, in my opinion, is hard to top this year.

Winner!
Oliver Porter's Toyota '02 Tacoma "Evolution"

Show Of The Year

John Mata Jr.Camp 'N Drag

Another tough decision to make is selecting just one show to crown as being the best of the year. I usually judge a show by the amount of feature/cover worthy trucks I can shoot while I'm there, and I also take into account activities that make an event more than just a show 'n shine. In other words, I was out to have fun this summer. Showfest is always a benchmark of quality and quantity, which definitely keeps me busy throughout the weekend, and the return to Sam's Town casino, which is just steps away from the show ground, was a major plus. But my vote for the year goes to the great party in the cornfields—Camp 'N Drag. This year, CND combined the perfect mixture of shootable trucks as well as a good time that is unique to this show. Anyone who's ever been knows what I'm talking about. The nighttime cruising is always a blast, and the soapbox races that were added this year gave participants and spectators something new and exciting to be a part of. The Balistik crew always makes CND a blast but it was even more so in 2012.

Chris PasleyShowfest

Call it a comeback, no, call it a rebirth. This show is back, and while it may not be the Greenville it used to be, it has plenty of hotels and casino amenities for all you who itch to roll the dice, but after you've cooled off in the A/C, head outside for what I'm calling the best show of the year.

Ernie MaciasCamp 'N Drag

As far as my vote for show of the year, I was a little conflicted this year. I attended so many amazing shows, and that it makes it very hard to choose. One show that really stood out to me was LST in Texas. It was a first year show but they really pulled in some heavy hitters. I will like to see what they can do next year before they get my vote. Having said that, my choice this year goes to Camp 'N Drag. Not only does it give you that old West Coast truck run vibe, but it was easily the best time I had all year.

Randy JohnsonScrapin' The Coast

I'm giving this to Scrapin' the Coast. I actually almost didn't even go, but staying at a hotel on the beach sold me. We made the 14-hour drive from Ohio and it was totally worth it. The quality was top notch, the weather was great, the scenery was amazing, the venue was perfect, and the show was run smoothly. This was my first year and it definitely won't be my last. Looking for a show that has it all? Then make vacation plans for Biloxi, Mississippi, every June!

Sean "Frenchy" FrenchKicker Bash

My vote for show of the year goes out to the Kicker guys for Kicker Bash. They worked hard to bring back the show scene in my neck of the woods down in Stillwater, OK. They have a huge museum showcasing many of their talents and products they offer. Also, the turnout gets bigger and bigger every year! Plus, we released our fourth film "The Catalyst" at the show, and it was a huge success!

Phil FowlerShowfest

My pick for the show of the year has to go to Showfest. Location, quality, quantity, convenience, and fun—I would say that this show has it all. What an awesome time and yet you didn't have to leave. The show is at the casino, so if you're a gambling man it's all there. It was nice to be able to just park your ride and stay at the same place. This show draws in people from coast to coast and isn't filled with junk. Some of the sickest rides I have ever seen made the trek out for this show and it isn't just the trucks it's the people it brings as well. I am glad to see this show making a comeback and look forward to attending for years to come!

Josh FleetwoodShowfest

Well, it may be three years late for me voting for it but Showfest has showed that it's back and is staying around for a while. Even when floods threatened to shut it down last year, Assorted Miniatures pulled together and knocked it out. Seeing this year's show just reinforced my vote seeing how the show keeps growing and brings in a lot of the great people who have been in the scene for years.

Jason "Pugz" WalkerLone Star Throwdown

Being a first-year show, LST was amazing. With over 600 entries and over 5,000 spectators at a virgin event is basically unheard of. Radar and Lonnie did something special with this show, despite it being a much larger crowd than anticipated, there was never a long line to get in, and everything about the show went off without a hitch. The guys behind this show took a first-year show to a new level. People came from across the globe and made this one hell of a show. I personally cannot wait until the 2013 LST show. Mark your calendars for this one everyone, it's not gonna be one to disappoint, and it's definitely not one to miss.

Winner
Showfest 2012

Club Of The Year

John Mata Jr.Assorted Miniatures

With Showfest becoming a steamrolling monster yet again after returning to the scene a few years ago, the need to keep the show organized became crucial. The small staff that is made up of members of the Assorted Miniatures club along with their friends and family gets the job done, even when a natural disaster threatens to bring the pain. Keith Broadaway and his crew earned the respect and gratitude of many for bringing this show back, and they prove that the much-deserved praise is given to them for a reason.

Chris PasleyAssorted Miniatures

Any group of people responsible for resurrecting a show like Showfest and maintaining its reputation for quality and quantity deserves a nod for club of the year in my book. It hasn't been an easy road for Assorted, but they survived last year's weather bomb, and made it back to Sam's Town in one piece in 2012.

Ernie MaciasAssorted Miniatures

I love this club because they're small, but the tight groups of friends have hung in there for the long haul and they throw an amazing show under amazing circumstances sometimes. The club is Assorted Miniatures. They are very deserving of all the praise they get because year after year, they put on a great show.

Randy JohnsonAftermath

My club of the year vote goes to Aftermath. This club continues to grow, and not just in size, but in quality. I've seen countless features over the year, the members treat everyone like family, and they are hilarious to party with at shows. They've been around for over 10 years and know a thing or two about building some insane trucks. The bar keeps being raised, and like they always say … it don't stop!

Sean "Frenchy" FrenchNegative Camber

My vote for club of the year is a very difficult choice. We travel to many shows all over the country, and I was looking for the club that made a good presence at every show we attended and was respectful to everyone, no matter what club they were involved with. So, my vote had to go out to Negative Camber. Those guys have shown love to just about everyone in the scene and also made a huge presence at a majority of the shows we (SoLo Films) attended.

Jason "Pugz" WalkerNegative Camber

This year, my vote goes out to the guys in Negative Camber. NC has had a busy and productive year. From all the members who came out to LST, to the Tito Foundation, and to the World Wide Tito Day, NC has been showing people what the scene is supposed to be like—helping others in need, and having fun in the scene across the world. Keep up the good work guys.